Creative Photography

The title says it all...

I call this 'Classic Perspective'. The reflections on the shiny metal is stylish.

Ahh! The tip of my finger has shrunk! Freaky.

This is what I call 'Pure Power' of a small IKEA candle...

It's amazing what light effects you can observe in a house.

What has become of Malaysia?

9-11-2008, Sunday

At about 7.40 p.m., our family friends, the Soon family came by my house. They, my mother and I were going to the PJ Candlelight Vigil to say No to the ISA. We stopped by a coffee shop for a nice dinner before the Vigil. The Hokkien Mee came late so we only arrived at Amcorp Mall at about 9.10 p.m.

As we arrived, we saw quite a number of people leaving the Mall. We asked a stranger what was happening and he told us that people were going to regroup at the Civic Centre, about 8 minutes walk away.

After regrouping there, we listened to a very short talk by the Secretary of Bersih. Then the spotlight was passed to the Chairman of Bersih for another short talk. Ronnie Liu then spoke about local government elections. By then, the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) had assembled about 15 metres away from the crowd. As Ronnie Liu was about to finish his speech, RPK paid a surprise visit. I got to shake his hand! By then, the FRU had started to shout at the crowd for no apparent reason. RPK gave a speech about how we should not be SO happy about him being freed as there are many other ISA detainees still in Kamunting.

After that, someone suggested that we sing Negaraku. Others voiced their agreement. And so we started singing our national anthem, enthusiastically and proudly. I really sang the song with all my heart, for this country, our country.

And then the action came... About 3/4 way into the Negaraku (now imagine the Negaraku with frequent shouts of 'Aiyoooorrr!!!'), the FRU charged at us, knocking their wooden batons on their plastic shields. Peace-loving, good people like Tony Pua were arrested. Now THAT is sad.

I have to say, last night was very memorable and exciting for me. I have no regrets about going and I will try to attend future Vigils.

P/S. I can spot myself in a photo on last night's Vigil here.

Initiative

I wish to share about something that is a little grotesque.

A few days ago, there was something on my kitchen floor that was small, black and had a bit of greenish goo. I personally think that it was some kind of small animal's dropping. Within one day, I stepped on it twice by accident and had to wash my foot.

After the second accident, I decided to wear a house slipper. Not a pair, just one. I couldn't find the other one, but it was good enough for me. I told my brother that it would lower the chances of my stepping on the dropping by 50%. My brother then said that he could lower the chances of him stepping on it by 99% by being careful.

All this noise, this senseless chatter, this wastage of time. Now, as I look back, I find that I was being pretty stupid. If I had INITIATIVE, I would have taken some tissue, wiped the dropping off, and thrown it into the dustbin. Problem solved.

You can achieve a lot through initiative. Imagine if mankind had no initiative - there wouldn't be the houses we are living in, the computer you are reading this from, the cars that your parents drive, the food that we eat. None of those conveniences of life.

I have learnt that I should have more initiative.

Merdeka 2008

Recently, we celebrated Merdeka.

People on the streets shouted 'MERDEKA!' Or did they?

This paragraph is taken from Wikipedia:

Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule. In a wider context, it is to celebrate the formation of Malaysia.

Hmmm, 'from British colonial rule'. I guess we've passed that stage. Now, we have entered another stage, something far worse... we need independence from our own Government.

Well, you already know what I'm getting at. It has become so common that it is starting to become like the joke, 'Why did the chicken cross the road?' Nobody's laughing.

Recently, many Malaysians have been asking for a change in Government. One that practises racial equality, justice and honesty.

There is hope. Pakatan Rakyat is getting stronger and stronger by the day.

Be happy. Malaysia is about to be 'independent' again soon, and then we can truly shout... MERDEKA!

Electricity Saving Day

Yesterday, my family had our 'Electricity Saving Day'. We hold it once every month.

This practice started about 2 months ago, when there was a huge increase in electricity costs.

Electricity Saving Day is a day when we do not use any electricity. We use sunlight in the morning and afternoon, and at night, we use candles. We do not switch on any air conditioner or even the fan. We let the breeze that blows into our house cool us down. We do our studies near the window for more sunlight. It's not too bad actually.

I always have fun on this day, especially the part where each member of my family holds a tall candle to light his/her way as he/she moves around the home during the night. It is very interesting.

Another thing that adds to the fun is the candle light dinner on this day. Wow, the ambience is great. I see the faces of my family members, and behind them, there is darkness. It has some sort of creepy effect, but I still like it, it's cool.

I am very happy with this 'tradition' of my family.

P.S. I hope you believed me, because jokes are meant to be believed at first... Tee hee hee...

Caption: Sweet or Sour Sixteen? Part 2

3 days ago was Part 2 of my brother's 16th birthday celebration.

To continue the scoring process:

1. In the morning, some friends came over and we all played some computer games including Counter-Strike before leaving for Sunway Pyramid. That was good. Sweet +1

2. In Sunway Pyramid, we watched the movie, 'The Dark Knight'. It was wow, action packed, fast moving and cool. Sweet +3!

3. We went to Wendy's for lunch. Lunch was delicious! I had a half-pound beef burger and my brother took a shrimp burger. Sweet +2.

4. While at Wendy's, my brother spilled coke all over his pants. Sour + 10. Just Joking

4 (again). For dinner, my parents and I went to a friend's house. My brother didn't go because he wanted to stay home to play computer. Unfortunately, the internet connection in my house that night was hopeless and my brother had a lousy time with the computer. Sour +2.

Now, for the moment all of us have been waiting for... THE FINAL SCORE...

SWEET +3!

Not bad, my brother did have a Sweet Sixteen after all.

Caption: Sweet or Sour Sixteen? Part 1

Yesterday, it was my brother's birthday. He has partially celebrated it, with family. This Saturday will be Part 2 of the celebrations, with close friends.

Will my brother's 16th birthday celebrations be sweet or sour? We shall find out...

This post is Part 1 of his birthday celebrations. Part 2 will be posted after Saturday.

1. For the first hour of the celebrations, my brother was doing... homework... Terrible. Sour +1. We slept at about 1.30 a.m. and woke up the same day (get it?) at 10.26 a.m.

Btw, when I woke up, I realised that something weird had happened to my hair (No, I didn't gel it).


Whoah, snazzy...


2. When we went down to the family hall, we played with the computer a bit and then went to MacDonalds, the birthday guy's choice! We had a scrumptious brunch, topped off with a soft ice cream cone each. Yum... I have decided to give this a Sweet +1.

3. We went home and stayed in till 3.30 p.m., when we left for our Wednesday badminton training. Gag! A tiring session on a birthday? Sour +1.

4. We reached home, bones aching, bathed and had a special dinner of Roast Lamb! And for dessert - D24 Grade A durians! So creamy, smooth and tasty so much so that when I took a few mangosteens after the durians, they tasted so inferior though I love mangosteens. Sweet +2.

5. At about 10.00 p.m., we watched a show, Passage To India. The show was interesting, but I think it's a bit freaky, and a bit too far-fetched. Oh well, no sour or sweet points for this.

After the show, we slept at about 1.30 a.m., again.

6. Oh. I've just realised that we did not go anywhere special on my brother's birthday; so I'm going to give this a Sour +2.

Part 1 tally: a Sour +1...

Sad, but, what will the final tally be after Part 2?. Will Saturday be awesome, or will my brother spill coke all over his pants?

We shall see...

LEGO Bionicle

I am sure all of us have heard of ‘LEGO’. But how many of us have heard of ‘Bionicle’?

Bionicle is a line of building toys created by the Lego Group that is marketed towards those in the 7-16 year old range. When you buy a Bionicle toy, it comes with the instructions to make it.

After assembling the toy, my brother and I have the habit of disassembling it soon after. We then throw the Bionicle pieces into a big box where all such pieces are kept. After that, we will create our own toys based on our own imagination. My brother usually does most of the creating though.

I have many fond memories of playing with Bionicle a few years back but nowadays, I occasionally take out the Bionicle box and enjoy playing for a while.

Some of our past creations:

A huge dragon. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE! It was about 60 cm long and 5 cm tall.

A scorpion made about 3 years ago.

A gun. It looks very high tech. The Bionicle below is holding it. A combination of a spear and a scythe. Let’s just call it a halberd (It’s close to a halberd, but not really one). I made it all by myself. Not much work though. It is attached to the back of the Bionicle.

I made it so that the Bionicle can switch his weapons easily which I think is pretty cool huh?

Treasure Quest 2008

I remember last year's Treasure Quest. My team's name was Apache 7. We ran around, took LRTs, tired ourselves out - all for 3rd last out of approximately 11 teams.

But this time, it was different. There were 16 teams, my team leader was Shawna, and my team's name was 'Rubber Duckies'. She brought two of her friends along who really helped in the treasure hunting.

The race started in Taman Aman, PJ. We answered some questions there and then walked (I mean, ran...) to get to further destinations such as KLCC and Mega Mall. The questions ranged from very easy to very difficult. An easy one was a crossword puzzle and a difficult one was about 'the man who invented the calculator' (Da Vincci) and also about 'something to help your lower digits' (toes). The answer was the shop 'Vincci'.

At the end of the race and before the finale, I made two conclusions. In Shawna's team:

1. When you are not running, you are brisk walking.

2. You can sweat while running in 'The Gardens', Mega Mall. (If you have been there, you know how cold it is).

Then came the finale.

The first part of it was a devotion shared by Commander Peter Chin. There was also prize giving to the marshalls (who had to try to keep up with us during the race).

The second part of the finale was what all the racers were waiting for... the prizes!

16 teams...

3 winners...

1 ultimate winner...

They eliminated the 13 teams who didn't win. My team wasn't in the 13.

They eliminated the 3rd last team, named 'Invincible'. Not my team.

Then came the last two... who would win, the Rubber Duckies, or the Mavericks? (Take note that the Mavericks are a team of newcomers.)

'And the winner is...,' Commander Darren created greater suspense. 'Drumroll please...,'

'Quack quack,' he continued. 'RUBBER DUCKIES!'

I couldn't help but smile...

So I went home with RM100, a RM50 Nike voucher, a RM50 Air Asia gift voucher and a tingling sensation that was left in my head, saying...

Yay.

Some interesting opposites

What is the opposite of poverty? Wealth.

What is the opposite of death? Life.

What is the opposite of many modern songs lyrics? Sense...

How true...



P.S. Who answered 'Couldn't be better' in my poll?

Minesweeper

I have been playing a game called Minesweeper for about a month.

I am currently at 'battle' with my dad in this game. The battle is about high scores. My dad would beat my high score and I would try to beat him back. And finally after I win him, he will try to beat my high score, and so, it is a vicious cycle.

My older brother was better than me at one time, but he is currently lagging behind. The only high score he got is in Beginner.

My house has two computers that can keep track of Minesweeper scores. The left one is my 'domain', while the one beside it is my brother's. My dad has no domain due to circumstances that cannot be helped.

Here's a video of myself playing Intermediate Minesweeper. Hope you enjoy it!



If you would ask me to recommend a simple mind game, I would suggest... Minesweeper.

Two pictures I took in Genting Highlands

Recently, I was in Genting Highlands for a church camp. I took two photos that I especially like:

I like this picture's eerie effect. Look how the mist blurs out the top of the building.


There is a 'crack' in the clouds. I like how the sun's rays illuminate the crack.


Hope you enjoyed looking at these 2 photos.

The Recipe for 'The Greatest Snack in the Universe'

...The Cream Cracker Tuna Sandwich!!!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

2 pieces cream crackers (Kevin the Master Chef prefers 'Munchy's Veggie Crackers')

1 tablespoon refrigerated 'Ayam Brand Tuna Spread'

PREPARATION TIME: Approx. 1 minute

HOW TO MAKE:

Take tablespoon of Tuna Spread and spread on 1 piece of cream cracker. Place second piece of cream cracker on top of Tuna Spread.

Serve immediately.

That is all. Think it won't taste nice because it's this simple? You'll prove yourself wrong when you try it. It is utterly delicious.

Ok, you've got me. Obviously, it isn't the 'GREATEST' snack in the Universe, but I said that for the plain and simple reason to be corny. It's ok to be corny sometimes, you know...

If you meet me in the near or distant future, tell me if the recipe was good or not. I will be waiting for YOUR feedback... Thanks.

What I do when I'm bored in my mum's car...

When my brother is not with me and I'm bored in my mum's car, I sometimes imagine that a Tyranosaurus Rex is chasing me, just for the fun of it. I arm myself with all the kinds of guns I can think of and I try to shoot the T-Rex down.

Let me introduce the typical scene to you:

'Oh no, a T-Rex is chasing us, we need to drive faster,' Kevin says to his mother.

'BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!' Kevin noisily shouts as he uses an imaginary shotgun.

'What are you doing, Kevin?' Kevin's mother asks.

'A T-Rex is chasing us, drive faster, drive faster!' Kevin says.

'Oh no, this shotgun isn't enough, bring out the machine guns!' Kevin shouts into the air while no one is listening.

Kevin takes out an imaginary machine gun and starts firing the T-Rex again.

'Yes! I've got it!' Kevin says as his imaginary T-Rex falls down and dies.

I know, it's weird but what can I say. When people are bored, they will do ANYTHING to get themselves out of it...

Pure Practicality

'I'll put my cup on this table," Kevin thought to himself. *CLANG*

Does your house have a fancy glass dining table, or hundreds of decorative items, or maybe, silverware that has never been used? Well, my house doesn't.

I realise that when I am in one of my friend's house, I have to put down my cup slowly on their dining table as there'll be a terribly loud and irritating sound if I don't. That table looks at least 3 times more fancy than my family's dining table, but it is very impractical.

And there was this other person's house which I went to with my family about 3 years ago. It was heavily decorated with fancy chinaware that I know collect dust every day. Such decorations might look nice at first, but after you see them for no more than a week, I think they would begin to appear quite plain and ordinary. Most of all, they are impractical.

My house is quite the opposite. Maybe a dozen decorative items and no fancy chinaware. The furniture is of solid wood. Plain?

I have to say... I like my house.

Sitiawan Trip

25/5/08

I woke up and got ready for the trip. I was going with my friends (Jordan and Nathaniel Soon) and their family to their mum's hometown, Sitiawan.

My family and I hopped into our car and followed the Soon's car.



During the journey, my mum, brother and I played word games to keep us from boredom. Sometimes, however, my brother didn't want to use his brain and played his handphone...



The Handphone Nerd...



We also saw many beautiful sights of the sky and lush, green, padi fields.



The beautiful padi field. Yes, God's creation is wonderful.

On the way, for lunch in Bidor, we ate at KFC as the shop selling the famous noodles was really packed with people.

When we reached Sitiawan, we headed for Jordan's grandparents' bungalow.



Nice bungalow eh...



The hall.



The kitchen, sorry for the blur...

And of course, the garden which had flowering plants and lots of veggies!



Orchids...



Vegetables...



More vegetables...



A single radiant flower...



And... more veggies. And you know something, all the vegetables in the garden are pesticide free! Yay!

In the evening, we went to the orchard belonging to Jordan's uncle located about 5 minutes drive away. There were coconuts, longans, bananas, tapioca, sweet potatoes, nangka, rambutans, mangosteens, durians, cikus and the lot! Wow! I didn't take any pics about it, so, chill people, chill...

We came back loaded with coconuts. We also took back produce of the land.



The coconut pile.

Later, we went to dinner in a restuarant.


Everyone eaten and satisfied?

That night, we watched National Treasure 2 on TV and then went to sleep.

The next morning, Sunday, we woke up for church.



The church. (If you are wondering where the main entrance is, it is behind the clump of trees).

After church, we went to the beach. My brother created a sand castle while Jordan and I made mud balls to destroy the sand castle. When the mud balls didn't work, we struck it with water, like a napalm strike, except... it was water. In the end, we had to demolish the castle with our bare feet. Sad...

While coming back, we bought durians and brought them back to the bungalow.



The durian pile.



The durian eating session. My brother, sneering at the camera, uncle Soon (Jordan's father), and me, on the right, doing a weird pose.

And then came the time for my family to leave...

At 5 p.m., we said bye to Sitiawan. It took us 2 hours to get back to home sweet home...

I have to say, I've enjoyed the trip thoroughly. From the time we reached Sitiawan to the time we left. The most enjoyable part was the beach. I like destroying sand castles. I think it's more fun than creating it, actually (Don't get the wrong idea, alright. I'm NOT a sadist).

Yes, it was a great trip...

1 Minute Math

16/5/2008

'Mom, I do one Exercise of Math, right?' Kevin asked his mother who was busy in the kitchen with a little smirk on his face which he was hiding.

'Uhh, yeah...' Kevin's mother answered as Kevin usually does one Exercise only. However, the normal Exercises are longer and harder.

'Alright mom,' Kevin replied.

Kevin chuckled to himself as he knew he had won. The next Exercise that he had to do was extremely short with only one question (a total of 6 sums). That kindy-like Exercise would take less than a minute.

Hahaha! No one can stop me now! I have won! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oops, is my mother reading this?

AR Firecraft Camp

On the 3rd of May, at 7.00 a.m, I reached Grace Assembly to go for the AR Firecraft Camp. We travelled by van to the Broga Campsite located in Broga, Negeri Sembilan. In my van, throughout the 1 hour ride, there were 3 exceptionally chatty girls.

When we finally reached, we rested for a while. After that, we did some theory of our Firecraft Merit. Later, we sharpened our penknives and were assigned to our dorms. We talked while we waited for lunch...

Lunch was the first meal we had to cook for ourselves over an A-Frame fire. We were given maggi mee, eggs and cabbage. My buddy and I cooked the maggi mee and eggs but not the cabbage out of pure laziness. I lit the lunch fire with 2 matches... sad...

Maybe, you are thinking that starting a fire with 2 matches is good, but the commanders had a higher expectation of us. They wanted us to do it with 1 match or they would not pass us. The test was to be held on the next day.

After lunch, we rested and then did more theory. We also learned how to use metal matches.

A metal match is a reusable match. It is a stick of part magnesium and part flint. First, you scrape some magnesium off with your penknife and then, you strike the flint which will produce sparks to light the magnesium which will light the fire. A metal match can be used to start about 2000 fires.

After that, we washed up and then prepared a barbeque for our parents. Yes, we had to cook for our parents... those who came. My dad and mum came.

The barbeque went well; the chicken was well marinated and the lamb was delicious. There was also pasta and salad. The sweet potatoes got over burnt though.

After dinner, our parents left. We then took a few photos and then played... WAR GAMES!

Sadly, the war games lasted only 15 minutes... after which we had to wash up and sleep.

The next morning, we made an A-Frame fire to cook breakfast. This time, even with 2 matches, I couldn't light the fire. I had to use another ranger's fire.

We had more theory and then we were given another try to start a fire with 1 match. After I had gotten everything ready, Commander Terence handed me a big box of matches. I opened it and... there was only 1 match inside. Can you imagine how freaky that was! I finally succeeded in starting a fire with only 1 match which lasted more than 3 minutes and the commanders signed my papers. After that, we packed up and left for home...

I have definitely learned a lot about fire in this Camp. I also grew spiritually because of the interesting devotions that the commanders shared. All in all, I this Camp was very good.

The Ultimate Gift

'The Ultimate Gift' is an interesting movie my family and I watched 2 nights ago. It is about a rich and spoilt young man who has to perform tasks which his grandfather (who is deceased) called 'gifts'. These twelve gifts, if successfully performed, will lead him to the 'Ultimate Gift'. Doing these painful and/or seemingly pointless tasks, he becomes a changed man...

The Ultimate Gift is a touching movie and I have to admit, I cried a bit at the end. So did my mother and my older brother. My dad didn't, however (don't know why).

I highly recommend this movie as it is one of my favourites.

Speech with the Distinguished Speakers

On the 25th of April 2008, I gave this speech during the JPS 2nd Round Table Dicussion on Malaysia: How it Works:

Hello. I’m Kevin & I’m 11 ½ years old.

One year ago, I was not interested in the Government, Opposition, Judiciary, free and fair elections etc.

Then, in mid-September 2007, a dramatic video hit Malaysia with a force so powerful! I watched it on YouTube. V.K. Lingam appeared to have used his influence in the appointing of the No. 1 Judge of Malaysia. I was shocked. That incident got me interested in politics.

About 2 months later, there was a peaceful rally organised by Bersih for free and fair elections attended by about 40 000 people! The marchers were shot on with Chemical Laced Water and Tear Gas. I saw it on YouTube and read about it in political blogs like Raja Petra Kamarrudin’s blog and Jeff Ooi’s blog. I felt really annoyed by this.

The recent election campaign period was really exciting for me.

On 27^th of February 2008, I attended my first ever political ceramah. That evening, my family and I quickly finished dinner, and headed for Puchong. I heard Gobind Singh’s fiery speech despite his having almost lost his voice. There were 1000+ people at the ceramah.

After Gobind’s ceramah, my family headed for Section 18 Subang Jaya to hear Hannah Yeoh speak. The field was so muddy but there were 3000 people at the ceramah. Hannah Yeoh spoke with conviction. Edward Ling (who is here today) and Tony Pua also spoke, eloquently. I reached home past midnight!

Then, on the 3^rd of March 2008, my family & I attended Lim Kit Siang’s ceramah in USJ 12. There were 7 000 – 10 000 Malaysians including old people there, all braving the torrential rain! Malaysians were sharing their umbrellas with total strangers! Some, like my mother, even lent her umbrella to a lady she did not know! There, I saw Malaysians helping and caring for each other. When Lim Kit Siang arrived at about 11.45 pm, there was a big applause. As he walked to the stage, the DAP campaign song was played loudly. People reached out to shake his hand. His speech was inspiring and humourous.

Nowadays, I read political blogs like RPK’s blog and Jeff Ooi’s blog. I now realise that politics is important. I was very happy with the 12^th General Elections results.

Thank You.

There were four distinguished Guest Speakers at the Discussion:

Bob Kee, Blogger and Activist,

Edward Ling, Ex-campaign Manager (to Hannah Yeoh ADUN Subang Jaya),

Lee Swee Seng, Advocate & Solicitor, Toastmaster, and

KJ John, Executive Director, OHMSI.

I felt a little nervous when giving my speech because of the V.I.Ps there. If I made a mistake, I would be embarassed.

In the end, I did well. I was very happy with my speech.

General Elections 2008 Results

I waited in anticipation...

My brother and friend arrived, after their Youth Meet...

The rest of my friend's family arrived...

The pizza arrived...

The chips bag was opened...

My father got ready his lap top...

We started following the 2008 General Elections results at 8.00 o'clock in the night...

Although most of my time was spent enjoying Counter-Strike with the 3 other non-adults, I was listening to what the adults were saying and therefore, eventhough my mind was mainly fixed on the computer, I could still follow the elections results... thanks to the adults.

8.00 p.m. passed...

9.00 p.m. passed...

10.00 p.m. passed...

11.00 p.m. passed...

12.00 midnight passed...

1.00 a.m. passed...

2.00 a.m. passed...

3.00 a.m. passed...

By then, the Opposition had denied the Barisan National two-thirds majority... More than we had hoped for.

The Opposition was hardly expecting to win any state except Kelantan, but there was a big surprise... 4 states were won...

The Opposition was hardly ready to have Penang fall into their hands, but instead, Penang, Selangor, Kedah, Perak all fell into their hands and... The Opposition made history...

Only at 4.00 a.m., my friend's family left. I listened to some songs on TV which were in Malay for no good reason but to rest my brain.

After bathing and brushing my teeth, I finally slept at 5.00 a.m. in the morning. The next day, I couldn't get up to go to church...

Yesterday's ceramahs

Yesterday, I went for the first political ceramah of my life and I went for 2 in one night, reaching home (with dad, mum & brother) at about 12 midnight!

The first ceramah was a DAP ceramah at Puchong which was attended by nearly 1000+ people! Gobind Singh (candidate for Puchong parliamentary seat) and Theresa Kok (candidate for Seputeh parliamentary seat and Kinrara state seat) were there to give their speeches; I even shook hands with both of them ;)

Gobind Singh was a good speaker although he had almost lost his voice due to the many ceramahs that he had spoken in. Gobind spoke against the high toll charges in Puchong. A Puchong resident, he pays RM 10 per day on tolls. He hears that the government has plans to build an LRT for Puchong to be ready in 5-10 years.That means, he has to spend RM 18250 - RM 36500 before the LRT is built. After the LRT is ready, Puchong residents will still have to pay to use the LRT! *tsk tsk tsk*

Theresa Kok was a fluent speaker too, but unfortunately, about 99.9% of her speech was in a combination of Cantonese, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia.

Halfway through Theresa Kok's speech, we left to go to another ceramah located in a field in Subang Jaya, Section 18.

I was surprised to see about 3000 people at this ceramah!

Hannah Yeoh (candidate for Subang Jaya state seat) gave an inspiring talk on voting for DAP; it was a simple but effective speech. She talked about how MPSJ wastes the people's money. It has installed 64 fanciful light bulbs near it's building which is already well lit when there are parts of Subang that are dimly lit and unsafe. 'The money is to help the people, not the Council!' she said.

Later, Theresa Kok arrived to make her speech. At least, now she spoke in English =)

She basically spoke about Hannah Yeoh and why we should vote her in, about how DAP will speak on behalf of the people. She spoke about giving a chance to young people (in this case, Hannah Yeoh) to contest and how they are clean and how they have not been corrupted by the evil ways of the Barisan National.

After that, Tony Pua (candidate for PJ Utara parliamentary seat) spoke about the time when Badawi was first elected Prime Minister, how he thought that Pak Lah was sincere about changing Malaysia to be a better country. He ACTUALLY believed the claims of Pak Lah. "Pak Lah said that there would be less crime, but crime rate has gone up 45% in 4 years! Pak Lah claims that the present inflation rate is a miniscule 2%." he said. Then he went on to say "Toll charges have increased by 60% in some places!"

I am disappointed... simply disappointed...

Vote for Opposition!

Royal Rangers Sel #7 Outpost Camp 2008

The camp lasted 2 days and 2 nights from 15/02/2008 to 17/02/2008.

The theme of the camp was food...

DAY 1

7.00 p.m. - I arrived at Grace Assembly, PJ.

8.00 p.m. - I boarded the bus to go to Port Dickson Methodist Centre.

9.00 p.m. - I was still on the bus on the way to PD.

10.00 p.m. - I arrived in PD.

10.15 p.m. - Briefing, and if I did not listen carefully, who knows what may happen...

10.30 p.m. - We ate a simple supper of red bean soup. That's when I found a dead bee in my soup.

11.00 p.m. - We went to brush our teeth, and the toilet... stank.

12.00 midnight - Lights off, but obviously, we did not get to sleep until much later...

DAY 2

7.00 a.m. - We heard a blaring alarm. Some of us brushed our teeth, some of us, didn't...

7.30 a.m. - We had a quick breakfast and then we relaxed. After that, it was time for... PARADE!

8.30 a.m. - Commander Nathaneal shouted at us to come down a narrow flight of stairs in 10 seconds... which was impossible: there were many small kids and a total of about 100 people... There was a mad scramble and we did not make it in time. IMPOSSIBILITY! During the parade, I was touched and shed some tears during the sharing by Commander Terence.


10.00 a.m. - The parade ended. Then we had group meetings...

1.00 p.m. - We had our chow of a few simple but delicious dishes.

2.00 p.m. - We resumed our group meetings.

5.00 p.m. - We headed for the beach. We played a few games, and unofficially, some of us had a wrestling tournament in the sea.

6.00 p.m. - We headed to our dormitories and washed up.

7.00 p.m. - Dinner, and then we had a Campfire which was fun.

12.00 midnight - Lights off...

Day 3

7.00 a.m. - Waking up time.

7.30 a.m. - Breakfast, relax and then... PARADE!

8.30 a.m. - Our Commander did not shout at us this time for he himself wasn't ready to start the parade...

8.40 a.m. - Shouting time. Given 10 seconds again. But what irked me most this time was that he first asked us to wait and then shouted at us to come down in 10 impossible seconds.

10.00 a.m. - We had a Sunday Service in which I found the sharing by the Commander to be helpful. There was also prize giving.

2.00 p.m. -We boarded the bus to get back home.

4.00 p.m. We were back at Grace Assembly... safely...

Personally, I enjoyed the Camp. There were many good opportunities to get to know the other rangers better. The food was delicious too (I mean, what do you expect, it WAS the theme after all). And yes! We slept in dorms with air-conditioning! (a big plus point).

A Lame Joke that I made...

Q: What do you call baby fish which are imported from France?

A: French Fries!

Why? This is because baby fish are called 'fries' and yes, the rest you can solve by yourself...

The Missing Chopstick

I've read The Missing Chopstick which is a book written by a man named David Wong.

It is about this young girl who received a single chopstick from her mother which she must never lose and she wants to find out the story behind it. In pursuing the story, she found many dark and hidden secrets which had been kept from her and... well... the rest you have to read for yourself...

It is a very exciting yet sad story which can make you cry at times (although it didn't make me cry).

It can be bought from the book stores at a reasonable price. If you find it, I highly suggest that you read it, for I don't think you will regret it.

P.S. Make sure that you set a reasonable amount of time for it, because after every chapter, you will want to read the next. I started reading it at about 10.00 p.m. and finally finished it, sleeping only at about 12.30 a.m.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

As we all know, Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Most of us will be travelling outstation, having a Reunion Dinner, playing with our relatives and doing all those fun stuff that we usually do during Chinese New Year.

I will be travelling on a 6 hour journey to Butterworth and then the next day, travelling another 2 hours to Alor Setar. Actually, for me, journeying during Chinese New Year is quite fun, when it is my turn to play the Gameboy that is... Hehe.

In the morning of my travel, my family and I always buy a burger, some french fries, and a milo each to eat in the car. This helps to occupy my brother and I for the first 20-30 minutes before we start playing the Gameboy. Unfortunately, the Gameboy belongs to my brother and he gets to play it first; so he usually gets more playing time than me...

The first day, in Butterworth is usually quite boring because my aunt and uncle there have no children and by then, our Gameboy would have run out of battery *Sob Sob*. Last trip though, we brought some DVDs to watch. We watched the movie 'Hamlet' and my brother got freaked out by the ghost. Bad choice of a movie.

When we get to Alor Setar, we will usually refamiliarize ourselves with the big place as we go there only once a year. Soon, we will be playing with our cousins. There, we always have a gala time playing computer, watching television, eating Chinese New Year cookies and gulping down unhealthy soft drinks. I am looking forward to Chinese New Year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai to you all!

The Great Slurpee Hunt

Last Saturday, my brother went Whitewater Rafting in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, with his uniformed group while my parents went for a political dialogue. So that left me... at my friend's house.

For lunch, my friend's dad, uncle Soon went to USJ17 to 'tapau' lunch from a coffee shop, Weng Soon Jaya. My friend and I followed uncle Soon to get lunch, but there was a catch... SLURPEES!

In case anyone doesn't know what a Slurpee is, it's a coloured, sugary drink with lots of ice shavings and it is VERY delicious. It can be found in any 7 Eleven shop, if you want to try it.

There was a 7 Eleven shop a few metres away from Weng Soon Jaya and so we went there, but we found that the Slurpees were still... Refreezing. *Sigh* I thought that we were going back to my friend's house, but uncle Soon said that we would go to another 7 Eleven shop.

We went to another 7 Eleven shop (I can't remember where it was located) and we tried to buy the Slurpees that we wanted but the machine was... 'Rosak'. 'Oh well, ' I thought. I guessed we were going back, but uncle Soon said that we would search some more! Whee!

We then went to another 7 Eleven shop about 8 minutes drive away, in USJ 9. We walked through the door, looked at the Slurpee machine and... one was spoilt but the other one was... STILL WORKING!

YAY! That was when the shopkeeper said that the Slurpee was still liquidised and needed to be refreezed. 'OH NO!' That was the furthest we would go in our hunt, or so I thought... But no, I could see the fire in uncle Soon's eyes; he was going to try another 7 Eleven!

We went to another 7 Eleven shop about 4 minutes drive away, in Taipan, USJ where our destiny lay.

We valiantly strode through the door of that 7 Eleven, fixed our gaze on the Slurpee machine and, at last, the machine was working! My friend and I took a large cup each (we deserved it), filled our cups with Slurpee, handed over the money, and finally, headed back to my friend's home.

When I reached back, I took a scoop of the delicious Slurpee and I savoured it to the very end...

It was worth it...

Self Praise is International Disgrace

Have you ever heard yourself saying, "I rock!" or, "I'm so awesome!" or phrases like that?

Well, to be frank, I don't think anybody will listen if you say that. In fact, instead of people thinking that you are great, they will start to dislike you.

Anyone can go on and on and on rambling about how great he is, but who cares? It has to come from another person. I learned that in 2007 while I was playing a game called GUNZ. It is an online game which my friends and I play. One day, I started rambling about how 'pro' I was in that game and my friends were exclaiming, 'Keep quiet lah' and 'Oi, stop talking!'.

I made a mistake then, and I hope I do not repeat it. So, before you praise yourself, think twice, because it can cause you some trouble.

Badminton Training

Just this Wednesday, I started badminton training at a training academy in Subang Jaya, Setia Badminton Academy, founded by Han Jian who was the 1985 World Champion and coach of the 1992 Malaysia Thomas Cup Winning Team. My training will be every Wednesday from 4.00 p.m till 6.00 p.m.

What I learned in my first training session was to correctly lob, lift, and backhand lift.

From 4.00 p.m. to about 4.20 p.m., the trainees are to warm up with stretching exercises followed by stroking in the courts. Then, the technical training starts till 5.40 p.m. After that, each trainee gets to play a friendly match against another trainee. And then, the pain starts...

At 5.50 p.m., I saw the regular trainees gathering around the court. I did not know what was next but my mom asked me to join them. She said it was 'cooling down' and that it would help you not to get muscle injuries after the training.

However, the 'cooling down' exercises seemed endless. By 6.00 p.m. (10 minutes of non-stop vigorous excercises including pumping, squat walking, frog leaping and many other types of jumps), my muscles and legs started to ache. At 6.05 p.m., things seemed hopeless; it was like they were not going to stop the torture. I managed to sneak out of the 'ring' of trainees to rest... but in 2 minutes, I was called back and forced to continue the exercises.This dragged on for another 5 minutes or so which felt like an hour. I thought, "Hey, this 'Cooling Down' session is suppose to keep you FROM injuries but it actually CAUSES injuries!"

As I slumped onto the bench, I asked my mother why cooling down was SO HARD! She laughed and replied, "I'm sorry, it wasn't cooling down, it was... STAMINA BUILDING!" EEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!

After that, whenever I stood up, my back would feel fuzzy, wobbly and unstable. My muscles & legs ached like crazy and all I could do was walk to a nearby stall to buy a can of 100 plus and then walk to my mum's car.

When I got home, I laid down on the floor, for about 5 minutes... Resting.

Watch Night Service 2007

It is a tradition of my church, PJEFC, to hold a 'Watch Night Service' every New Year's Eve. At Watch Night Service, we hear testimonies about how good God has been in that year. The best part of it is when 2 count down clocks for the New Year pop up on the walls of the church on the stage about 8 minutes before New Year's Day. At the last 10 seconds or so, everyone loudly does a count down until the last second of New Year's Eve and then we all shout 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!'

Last year (2007), I went for Watch Night Service. Testimonies were shared, songs were sung, count down clocks were placed, and a big 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!" was heard. After it finished (about 12.30 a.m.), everyone happily chatted in the concourse of the church before my family and friends went for supper at a mamak shop in PJ New Town. I already had a currypuff at the concourse so I didn't eat anything for supper except a delicious pepsi float. Supper dragged on to about 2.00 a.m. when we finally departed. It was about 2.30 a.m. when my family at last reached home. After bathing and brushing my teeth, I went to bed at about 3.00 a.m. in the morning!

All in all, I found the Watch Night Service memorable. The next day, I woke up at 11.00 a.m.

Happy New Year!